Adjustable multiple purpose ratcheting wrench

ABSTRACT

An adjustable ratcheting wrench including a wrench body having a handle portion extending in one direction and a fixed jaw in the other, the fixed jaw having a working surface, a movable jaw slidably supported to the wrench body, the movable jaw having a working surface parallel the stationary jaw working surface, one of the jaws having a notch in the outer end of the working surface, and the other jaw having an inclined surface at the outer end of the working surface, the plane of which intersects the plane of the opposite jaw working surface towards the wrench body, the wrench being thereby adaptable to receive the parallel sides of a member to be rotated between the paralleled working surfaces of the jaws for applying high torque to the member to be rotated and the wrench further being adaptable to receive the opposite corners of the member to be rotated between the notch in one jaw and the inclined surface of the other jaw so that the member may be ratcheted, that is, rotated by sequential movements of the wrench without removing the wrench from contact with the peripheral surfaces of the member.

ate 1 [191 ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLE PURPOSE RATCHETING WRENCH [75] Inventor: James P. Evans, Oklahoma City,

Okla.

[73] Assignee: Paul H. Johnson, Tulsa, Okla.

[22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 425,147

[52] US. Cl. 81/165 [51] Int. C11. B25B 13/16 [58] Field of Search 81/119, 125.1, 126, 130, 81/179,186,165,166

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 999,968 8/1911 Denham 81/12 5.l 1,624,508 4/1927 Reilly 81/125.1 2,704,004 3/1955 Johnson 81/165 2,731,866 l/1956 Erickson 81/165 x 3,252,359 5/1966 Bodkin 81/119 Primary ExaminerJames L. Jones, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT An adjustable ratcheting wrench including a wrench body having a handle portion extending in one direction and a fixed jaw in the other, the fixed jaw having a working surface, a movable jaw slidably supported to the wrench body, the movable jaw having a working surface parallel the stationary jaw working surface, one of the jaws having a notch in the outer end of the working surface, and the other jaw having an inclined Surface at the outer end of the working surface, the plane of which intersects the plane of the opposite jaw working surface towards the wrench body, the wrench being thereby adaptable to receive the parallel sides of a member to be rotated between the paralleled working surfaces of the jaws for applying high torque to the member to be rotated and the wrench further being adaptable to receive the opposite corners of the member to be rotated between the notch in one jaw and the inclined surface of the other jaw so that the member may be ratcheted, that is, rotated by sequential movements of the wrench without removing the wrench from contact with the peripheral surfaces of the member.

4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures B \Fza g E 18,) I jam 6 32 3O 34 1 Sheet 1 of 4 3,916,735

US, Patsm Nov. 4, 1975 7 y 7% x2 a I 2 M NH m I x 5 e m m US. Patent N0v.4,1975 sheath 3,916,735

QAJ

Fig. 7

Fig. 6

U.S. atsnt NOV.4, 1975 Sheet3of4 3,916,735

US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,916,735

ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLE PURPOSE RATCHETING WRENCH BACKGROUND, SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains generally to improvements in an adjustable jaw wrench for rotating members. More particularly, the invention pertains to a tool having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw so as to be adjustable to engage a variety of sizes of members to be rotated, such as nuts, bolts, and the like, and including improvements enabling the tool to be utilized to apply high torque to a variety of sizes of members to be rotated and at the same time the tool may be utilized to ratchet the member.

Adjustable wrenches are frequently employed at the present time and usually have spaced apart jaws which are either planar as are commonly used on nuts and bolts by a mechanic or are serrated or provided with teeth, such as are used by plumbers to grip cylindrical members, such as pipes. Some tools include serrated jaws employed on pliers to grip any member to be held or rotated whether cylindrical or noncylindrical.

Most of the hand tools presently on the market are not capable of ratcheting a member. Of course, ratcheting tools are available, however, such tools normally are of the type including a socket with a ratchet handle attached to it wherein moving parts are employed. Other tools presently known include US. Pat. No. 3,762,244, issued to James P. Evans, on Oct. 2, 1973, entitled SPEED WRENCHES, on Oct. 2, 1973, which describes a fixed jaw ratcheting wrench. This prior issued patent describes a wrench wherein the surfaces which are employed in ratcheting the member to be rotated are the same surfaces which are employed in applying high torque to the member. The ratcheting wrench surfaces are of necessity relatively short, which means that when high torque is to be applied to a member, the relatively short contacting surfaces are utilized.

The present invention relates to a tool design including adjustable jaws for application to a variety of sizes of members and including the arrangement wherein the jaws having surfaces which may be employed to apply high torque to the member and having other and different surfaces which are employed in ratcheting the member. In this way the wrench is adaptable to apply high torque to a member to be rotated without employing the ratcheting surfaces.

In addition, the present invention describes a tool wherein the surfaces employed to apply high torque are adjacent the wrench body and the surfaces employed to ratchet the member are at the outer end of the jaws so as to facilitate ratcheting a member in a confined location.

It is therefore an obejct of this invention to provide an improved tool for torqueing and ratcheting members.

More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide a tool including jaws which may be positioned at variable spacings from each other to engage a variety of sizes of members and wherein the jaws have a configuration at the outer ends thereof to ratchet rotate the members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool having variable spaced jaws so as to be utilized on variable sized members and including surfaces at the outer ends of the jaws for ratcheting of such variable sized members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool having adjustable jaws configured to engage a variety of shapes of members to be rotated, such as hexagonal, square, octagonal and twelve-point members, including means of ratchet rotating such members.

These and other objects of the invention will be fulfilled in the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF VIEWS FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial view of the wrench showing a stationary jaw and a movable jaw and showing the configuration of the wrench jaw surfaces in one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a reduced size view of a wrench embodying the invention as shown in ratcheting a hexagonal member.

FIG. 3 shows the wrench employed to ratchet a square member.

FIG. 4 shows the wrench as employed to ratchet an octagonal member.

FIG. 5 shows the wrench employed to ratchet a twelve point nut or bolt.

FIG. 6 shows the full wrench of the adjustable jaw type having surface configurations of FIG. 1 which may be employed to rotate the various configured members as illustrated in FIGS. 2-5.

FIG. 7 shows the tool in the embodiment of a pair of pliers. The pliers have first jaw portions to engage a cylindrical member and second jaw portions to engage a noncylindrical member and includes the configuration of this invention at the outer ends of the jaws for ratcheting the noncylindrical member.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the pliers are in a different form, including the configuration of the outer end of the jaws for ratcheting a member.

FIG. 9 shows a still different embodiment of the invention including a tool having means for gripping a member between movable jaws and including means of ratcheting the member at the outer end of the jaws.

FIG. 10 shows a still different alternate embodiment of the invention of the type of wrench as shown in FIGS. 1-6 but showing an alternate arrangement of the fixed jaw working surface permitting ratchet rotation of hexagonal members either at the inner end or at the outer end of the jaws.

FIG. 11 shows the wrench of FIG. 10 applied to ratchet rotate a hexagonal member at the inner end of the jaw.

FIG. 12 shows the wrench of FIG. 9 as used to ratchet rotate a hexagonal member at the outer end of the jaws.

FIG. 13 shows the wrench of the embodiment of FIG.

10 as used to apply maximum torque to a square member, the outer ends of the jaws being configured to ratchet the square member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, portions of an adjustable wrench are shown. The wrench includes a body 10. Affixed to the body is a fixed jaw 12 having a working surface 14. Supported to the body 10 is a movable jaw 16 having a working surface 18. The working surface 14 and 18 are parallel to each other. By positioning the movable jaw 16 the spacing between the working surfaces is varied to engage noncircular members to be rotated, such as nuts, bolts or the like. Typically such noncircular members are in the form of a square, hexagon, octogon, or twelve point member.

The tool described to this point is a common embodiment of an adjustable jaw wrench. The configuration of the wrench may take many shapes and forms, however, the basic principle is the same, that is, a body having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw adjustable to receive members to be rotated therebetween.

The difference and uniqueness in this invention relies in the configuration of the outer end of the jaws l2 and 16. Fixed jaw 12 has at the outer end thereof formed in the working surface 14, a notch generally indicated by the numeral 20. The notch is formed ofa positioning surface 22 and a torqueing surface 24. The angle of intersection of the positioning surface 22 and torqueing surface 24 is preferably between 110 and 130. In the illustrated embodiment the angle indicated by A of the positioning surface 22 relative to the fixed jaw working surface 14 is 40. The angle indicated by the letter B of the intersection of the torqueing surface 24 with the plane of the working surface 14 is 25, and the angle of intersection of surfaces 22 and 24, indicated by C is 1 15.

The outer end of the fixed jaw 12 is defined by a guide surface 26. The angle of the guide surface 26 relative to the plane of working surface 14 as indicated by D, is not critical and may vary between and 90, however, some angle in between is preferred. In the illustrated arrangement the angle D is 40.

The outer end of movable jaw 16 is provided with a backup surface, generally indicated by the numeral 28. In FIG. 1 the backup surface includes two planar portions, designated as a first backup surface 30 and a second backup surface 32. In the simplest embodiment of the invention backup surface 28 may consist of a single plane, or the backup surface may be arcuate as will be described subsequently. In the preferred arrangement of FIG. 1 the first backup surface 30 has an angle E relative to the movable jaw working surface 18 of approximately while the second backup surface 32 has an angle F relative to the plane of working surface 18 of The outer end of the movable jaw 16 includes a guide surface 34. The angle of intersection of the guide section 34 with the plane of working surface 18 indicated by G is not critical but may be any angle greater than the angle F and preferably less than 90. In the illustrated embodiment the angle G is 55.

As previously stated the means of positioning and retaining the movable jaw 16 relative to the backup jaw 12 is not the essence of this invention in any arrangement accomplishing this result would be acceptable for use in practicing the invention. FIG. 6 shows a typical adjustable jaw wrench including the surface configuration described in FIG. 1. The movable jaw 16 is moved and retained in position relative to body portion 10 and fixed jaw 12 by means of a worm screw 36, the threads of which engage a threaded portion 38 formed on the rearward portion of the movable jaw. A handle 40 extends rearwardly from the wrench body 10 in the direction opposite the jaws l2 and 16. As previously stated the actual configuration of the wrench may vary considerably and the illustrations of FIGS. 1 through 6 are exemplary of one embodiment.

The wrench may be utilized to rotate a noncircular member by engagement of the member between the parallel working surfaces 14 and 18. This is in the manner of the function of a typical adjustable jaw wrench. However, the additional surface configurations provided at the outer ends of the jaws enable the wrench to ratchet on a noncircular member, that is, enables the wrench to be used to rotate a noncircular member by reciprocal pivotation of the wrench handle while maintaining the forward jaw surfaces against the external peripheral surfaces of the member to be rotated.

FIG. 2 shows the wrench employed to ratchet a hexagonal member 42. One corner of the member 42 is received within the notch 20. The wrench is adjusted so that the backup surface 28 engages the opposite corner of hexagonal member 42. When the wrench handle 40 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow the hexagonal member 42 will be rotated in the same direction as indicated by the arrow. When the handle is moved in the opposite direction no torque is applied to hexagonal member 42. The wrench forward surfaces slide upon the periphery of the hexagonal member until the direction of rotation is reversed, when again the surfaces engage opposite corners of the member 42 and rotate it. Torque is applied to hexagonal member 42 by engagement between the fixed jaw torqueing surface 24 and the movable jaw second backup surface 32.

FIG. 3 shows the wrench as employed to ratchet on a square member 44. The wrench functions in the same way described relative to the hexagonal member of FIG. 2, the wrench surfaces engaging opposed corners of the square member. As with the hexagonal member, when the direction of the rotation of the wrench relative to the member is reversed no torque is applied to the member and the wrench slides upon the member peripheral surfaces.

FIG. 4 shows the wrench used to ratchet an octagonal member 46. The wrench works in the same way as described in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the exception that the octagonal member is best engaged by the movable jaw first backup surface 30.

FIG. 5 shows the arrangement for ratcheting a twelve point member 48, a type of nut and bolt frequently employed in the aircraft industry. In this arrangement the torque is applied to the twelve point member 48 by engagement with the fixed jaw planar surface 14 against one of the twelve point extrusions on the member 48, one of the extrusions being received in notch 20. The movable jaw first backup surface 30 engages two of the member 48 extending points.

The adjustable wrench of the type shown in FIG. 5 is not normally employed to torque a twelve point member 48, that is, a twelve point member is not engaged between the planar surfaces 14 and 18 with a great degree of torque imparting ability, however, the wrench may be utilized to ratchet the member as shown in FIG. 5 with a standard twelve point wrench utilized to apply the maximum torque to loosen or unloosen the member after it has been ratcheted into the position wherein increased torque is necessary.

It can be seen that the notch 20 may equally as well be placed in the movable jaw 16 and the backup surface 28 placed on the fixed jaw 12 with the function of the wrench being the same.

FIG. 7 shows the concept of the invention applied to a pair of pliers. In this instance one of the jaws 12 is designated as the fixed jaw and the other the movable jaw 16 although obviously one jaw is equally movable to the other. In the pliers a portion of the jaws have teeth 50 so as to engage noncircular members, however, this is not a contribution of this invention since pliers are frequently manufactured in this means. The contribution of this invention to the tool FIG. 7 is in the notch 20 and backup surface 28 as described with reference to tools shown in FIGS. 1 through 6. The portions 20 and 28 function in the same way to ratchet a member as has been previously described. One feature of the arrangement in FIG. 7 includes notches 50 and 52 in the jaws 12 and 16 intermediate the teeth 50 and the ratcheting notch 20 and backup surface 28. Notches 52 and 54 are used to apply torque such as to a hexagonal member.

FIG. 8 shows a pair of pliers of a different type in which the hinge portions slide in a locking arrangement relative to each other. In this embodiment the backup surface 28, rather than being formed of two planar surfaces as shown in FIG. 1, is formed of an arcuate surface. The radius of the arcuate surface forming a backup surface 28 varies according to the size of the tool. In the preferred arrangement a tangent of the arcuate surface is parallel to the notch torqueing surface 24.

FIG. 9 shows the concept of the tool of FIG. 8 but in the type of tool normally termed a vice-grip wrench. FIG. 9 also shows the arrangement wherein the backup surface 28 is arcuate.

FIGS. 10 through 13 shows an additional alternate arrangement of the adjustable ratcheting wrench of this invention. In this arrangement the fixed jaw working surface 14 is provided with an arcuate recess 56, the recess extending in a direction opposite the movable jaw working surface 18. The arcuate surface 56 divides the fixed jaw working surface into a forward portion 14A and a rearward portion 14B. The concave arcuate surface 56 serves to receive the opposing corners of a member which is ratcheted by the wrench. In this way a hexagonal member may be ratcheted either by using the rearward portion 148 of the fixed jaw working surface, as shown in FIG. 11 in which by rotation of the wrench in the direction indicated by the arrow, the hexagonal member 42 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow but when the wrench is rotated in the opposite direction no torque is applied to the hexagonal member and the wrench slips upon the peripheral surfaces of the member. As an alternative, the hexagonal member 42 may be ratcheted using the forwarded torqueing surface 24 and backup surface 26 as shown in FIG. 12 and as has been previously described in reference to FIG. 2.

To improve the operation of the wrench the planar working surface rearward portion 148 is provided with an undercut 58 which serves to permit the hexagonal member 42 to slide more easily into position as the wrench is ratcheted on the member utilizing the working surface 148.

The configuration of FIGS. 10 through 13 can be employed to apply torque to other configured members, such as a square member as shown in FIG. 13. When used on a square member, however, ratcheting is accomplished only by the forward notch portion and backup surface 28 of the wrench.

As previously stated in reference to FIG. 1, the angle C, that is, the angle of intersection of the positioning surface 22 with torqueing surface 24 may vary. For a multiple purpose wrench an angle of approximately is desirable. If the wrench is configured specifically to be used on hexagonal members the angle C is preferably so that the positioning surface 22 and torqueing surface 24 will simultaneously engage portions of the periphery of the hexagonal member. When the wrench is designed specifically for octagonal members, as shown in FIG. 4, the angle C should preferably be When designed specifically for ratcheting a twelve point member as shown in FIG. 5, the angle C should be configured to match the peripheral configuration of one projection of the twelve point member.

Each of these various configurations permit maximum pressure contact of the wrench against opposed points on the member to be rotated.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element or step thereof is entitled.

What is claimed:

1. An adjustable ratcheting wrench comprising:

a wrench body having a handle portion extending therefrom and a fixed jaw, the fixed jaw having a planar working surface;

a movable jaw slidably supported to said wrench body, the movable jaw having a planar working surface parallel said fixed jaw working surface, the planar working surfaces being variably spaced by the movement of said movable jaw to receive and engage the opposed parallel sides of rotatable members therebeteen;

one of the jaws having a notch formed in the outer end of the working surface, the notch having an inner surface whichintersects the jaw working surface at an angle ofabout 40, and an outer surface the plane of which intersects the plane of the opposite jaw workingsurface in the direction opposite the wrench body, the inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersecting each other at an angle of about 115;

the other jaw having a backup surface at the outer end of the planar working surface, the backup surface including two planar portions, the first backup surface planar portion intersecting the jaw planar working surface at an angle of about 15, the second backup surface planar portion intersecting the first portion at an angle relative to the plane of the jaw working surface of about 25; and

means of retaining said movable jaw in selectable spacings relative to said fixed jaw.

2. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting a hexagonal member wherein said inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 120.

3. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting a square member in which the inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 90.

4. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting an octagonal member wherein said inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 135. 

1. An adjustable ratcheting wrench comprising: a wrench body having a handle portion extending therefrom and a fixed jaw, the fixed jaw having a planar working surface; a movable jaw slidably supported to said wrench body, the movable jaw having a planar working surface parallel said fixed jaw working surface, the planar working surfaces being variably spaCed by the movement of said movable jaw to receive and engage the opposed parallel sides of rotatable members therebeteen; one of the jaws having a notch formed in the outer end of the working surface, the notch having an inner surface which intersects the jaw working surface at an angle of about 40*, and an outer surface the plane of which intersects the plane of the opposite jaw working surface in the direction opposite the wrench body, the inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersecting each other at an angle of about 115*; the other jaw having a backup surface at the outer end of the planar working surface, the backup surface including two planar portions, the first backup surface planar portion intersecting the jaw planar working surface at an angle of about 15*, the second backup surface planar portion intersecting the first portion at an angle relative to the plane of the jaw working surface of about 25*; and means of retaining said movable jaw in selectable spacings relative to said fixed jaw.
 2. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting a hexagonal member wherein said inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 120*.
 3. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting a square member in which the inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 90*.
 4. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1 for ratcheting an octagonal member wherein said inner and outer surfaces of said notch intersect each other at an angle of 135*. 